Standing In Front Of You
by xX-Yuna-Zoey-Xx
Summary: After a bad encounter with Brendan Brady, Ste turns to Doug from comfort.


_**Standing In Front of You – Hollyoaks**_

_**Ste has a bad encounter with Brendan and turns to Doug for comfort. Pairing are Ste/Doug & Texas/Jodie**_

_**Song is Kelly Clarkson - Standing In Front of You**_

* * *

Frantic knocking disturbed Doug, from his thoughts and his sulking. You'd think with his new business being so successful he'd be happy and joyful, but no something happened to Doug recently. He started falling for his best friend, who also happens to be male. His best friend, one named Steven Hay. Doug never really thought himself as bisexual, but he would admit to himself when he found a guy very attractive looking, but Doug always thought other guys thought like that. But Ste wasn't the first guy who he ever felt attracted to. There was a guy he used to know when he lived back in America, Danny Skye and he happened to be his only friend there. Doug decided to go travelling to sort out his head and then he met 'Bex' aka Rebecca Massey and any thoughts of his friend Danny were long gone.

Just the thought of his ex-girlfriend Bex, makes Doug upset. Becca was taken long before her time all because of one man, Silas Blisset. He was one of two people that Doug despises, the other man being Brendan Brady. Just hearing the name of Brendan gives Doug a sour taste in his mouth. He hated Brendan for many reasons. For his involvement in Rae and Bex's deaths, Charlotte's paralysis (If Doug never got the drugs from Brendan, she'd still be able to walk) and finally, stealing Ste from him. The knocking became even more frantic and Doug had failed to notice he'd slipped back into his thoughts once again.

"All right! All right! I'm coming. Hold on a sec!" Doug shouts, the knocking was not doing much for his forming headache.

Doug walks over the door opening he can shoo away whoever it is, that's increasing his headache so he could return to his thoughts about a certain guy. The last person Doug had expected to see today standing at his door was Ste, tears streaming down the side of his face which had featured some new cuts.

"Ste?" Doug asks in shock seeing the sight of his best friend and crush.

"I-I thought it'd b-be different this t-t-time. He said it w-would" Ste choked out through the tears.

"Oh my god…" Doug whispers pulling Ste into his arms.

The second Doug embraced him, Ste went into full breakdown mode. The combined pain from Brendan, all the physical, the mental and the betrayal all converged on him, making him even worse. Ste decided to give Brendan one more chance after Ste found out it was actually Brendan who helped them get the Deli, Ste thought maybe just maybe Brendan had changed and maybe Brendan did love him. But was Ste wrong. Brendan still can't accept the person he is. Ste remembers seeing the terrified look on Ash Kane's face when Brendan threatened to keep her mouth shut about what she saw. She like Ste quickly left the scene.

Doug managed to move Ste onto the sofa, he tried to reassure Ste everything was going to be all right but Doug knew that nothing was ok, Ste had just got betrayed in the most hurtful way again and by the man he loved… That part sickened Doug to his very core. But like Ste, his heart was breaking for his best friend, the way his shirt was drenched from Ste's tears and possibly his blood and the way Ste clung onto the Doug for dear life. Doug need's to calm Ste down, but what he could he do besides let Ste just cry everything out. But there was another thing Doug needed to do, he needed to see how badly hurt Ste was, physically, because Doug knew mentally he was destroyed. That's when Doug began to sing.

"**You say it's easier **

**Alone and undisturbed**

**You said yes and danced before**

**And got your feelings hurt**

**You say most days your good**

**It's not bad this room**

**Why chance the rain today**

**Even though it's clear and sunny**

**And you fight it so hard**

**How to tell if it's real or not"**

Ste started to relax into Doug, the tears were beginning to stop flowing. He felt oddly warm and safe in Doug's arms. He listened on stunned, having never heard Doug sing before, and sing quite well at that. He was doing the song justice.

"**Take a breath and listen (listen)**

**Open up stop wishin' (wishin')**

**All that you've been missing**

**Standing in front of you**

**Everything you're fearin' (fearin')**

**All the walls you're building (buildin')**

**Take a chance you're reasons (reason)**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you"**

Doug can feel Ste relax in his arms, he could feel Ste's breathing begin to slow. Doug just loved the feeling of Ste in his arms, the feeling that Ste gave him, it was the same feeling he got when he used to hold Becca in his arms.

"**You start to sway again**

**Feelin' good in your skin**

**You start to remember when**

**You didn't have to try**

**And then the glitter turns to dust**

**The colour fades enough to make out pictures of a fire**

**That burns like love**

**You can close your eyes don't worry**

**I'll still be here in the morning"**

Ste doesn't really understand the full meaning of the song, he gets that Doug is singing the song about him. He smiles as he listens to Doug sing and the sound of Doug's heartbeat. No thoughts of Brendan were anywhere near Ste's mind.

"**Take a breath and listen (listen)**

**Open up stop wishin' (wishin')**

**All that you've been missing**

**Standing in front of you**

**Everything you're fearin' (fearin')**

**All the walls you're building (buildin')**

**Take a chance you're reasons (reason)**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you"**

Ste may not have understood the true meaning of the song that Doug was singing, but there was someone else who did definitely get it, and that was Texas Longford. She sat on the stairs listening to Doug sing, which shocked her because he was so good at it. Texas picked up on the fact that Doug was in love with Ste. She didn't tell anyone not even Doug himself, he'd tell her when he's ready. Listening to the song, it really made her think about her own relationships. She'd been trying to think about Dodger, but her thoughts always led back to Jodie. Everytime Dodger did something stupid that upset Texas, Jodie was there, Standing in front of her. Texas didn't realise she was getting emotional.

"**And they won't break us**

**And they can't get through**

**Cause I'm going to be here**

**Standing in front of you"**

Ste looked up at Doug, who was gazing down at him while he sang. Doug tried not to stop when he saw the sight of Ste, his lip was spilt, his eyes eye red and puffy from the crying, one eye had a shade of black to it. A nasty bruise was visible from the collar of Ste's t-shirt. Doug kept on singing and Ste lay back into Doug's chest. Ste felt at peace then and there in the arms of his best friend. Texas silently slipped out, doing her best ninja impression to not disturb the boys tender moment.

"**Take a breath and listen (listen)**

**Open up stop wishin' (wishin')**

**All that you've been missing**

**Standing in front of you"**

Jodie opens her door and she's actually quite surprised to see Texas in front of her. No doubt it was another Dodger problem.

"Texas?" Jodie asks.

"It's you Jodie. You're the one. This entire time you've been the one standing in front of me" Texas says walking right up to Jodie and pulls the shocked and confused girl into a kiss.

"**Everything you're fearin' (fearin')**

**All the walls you're building (buildin')**

**Take a chance you're reasons (reason)"**

Doug was hoping that Ste got the true meaning of the song he was singing, it was right here and now with Ste in his arms that Doug knew he was in love with Ste and was ready to act upon those feelings. Doug raised Ste's so he could stare into Ste's beautiful eyes as he concluded the song.

"**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you"**

Ste looked deep into Doug's eyes. He could see the love in them and then Ste got the true meaning of the song that Doug was singing. Doug is in love with him and he loved Doug.

"**Standing in front of you**

**Standing in front of you"**

Doug finished the song and places the gentlest kiss on Ste's bruised lips. Ste felt like he was being electrocuted from the kiss, he felt like there were fireworks going off everywhere and it was only him and Doug that were currently in the world. Ste could believe how gentle Doug was. Doug was ecstatic, he felt so happy kissing Ste. He felt like they were the only two that mattered. His happiness grew higher when he felt Ste return the kiss. The need for air grew to strong and both boys hesitantly broke apart. Doug was now laying down on his back on the sofa and Ste was lying beside with a big smile gracing his damaged features

"You Dougie, I think you'd give that Liberty a run for her money. Why didn't you ever tell me you could sing that well?" Ste asks avoiding the obvious question, 'when did Doug begin to like him'.

"You think?" Doug says ruffling Ste's hair.

"Yeah" Ste smiles giving Doug a quick kiss.

* * *

_**So this is my first Hollyoaks story in a long time. I had to write this because I majorly ship Stug now. So yeah Team Stug! I know I'll get flamed for bashing Brendan in this but whatever, if you don't like Stug then get over it :) Funnily enough Texas/Jodie was actually added last minute. I kind alike there relationship and wished it was more expanded on. So R&R guys**_

_**Z xx**_


End file.
